Respirator



Mayll, 1943.

GE. MARTINDALE ErAL RESPIRATOR Filed Sept. 8, 1941 650965 5. Mer//VDAAE Orm- PV. SCHARF/N6 INVENTORS BT W ATTORNEYS Patented May 1l, 1943 George E. Martindale, Lakewood, and Otto W.

Scharping, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Martindale Electric Company, Lakewood, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application September 8, 1941, Serial No. 409,954

(Cl. 12S-146) 5 Claims.

lOur invention relates to respirators, more particularly to that type of respirator embodying a filter for the purpose of ltering air inhaled and exhaled by a wearer, and the principal object of our invention is to provide new and improved respirators.

In the drawing accompanying this specification, and forming part of this application, we have shown, for purposes of illustration, an embodiment which our invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure l illustrates the embodiment as it is applied to the face of a wearer,

Figure 2' is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the embodiment, and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view, illustrating the embodiment in position on the face of a wearer.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment herein shown comprises a support I0, between which and the face of the wearer is adapted to be interposed filter means li. The support I comprises a chin portion I2, a mouth portion I3, and a nose portion I4. The support is made of material capable of being formed to a definite shape, but being bendable and formable by the wearer, by sufficient manual manipulatiom to any shape desired. y

It is preferable to form the support Ill as a wire frame, as herein shown, the Wirehaving such qualities which permit the fra-me to be bent and formed. Also, it is preferable to form the frame of a single length of Wire, and as herein shown, the wire is bent approximately at its mid-point, forming a loop I5 having its legs I6 curved upwardly and approaching each other. The legs I5 are preferably joined in any suitable manner, as by brazing shown at i1. IThe loop I5 and legs I6 of the wire frame in this embodiment form the chin portion l2 of the support IU.

From their connection, the legs I6 diverge with respect to each other, forming a generally U- shaped portion I8 having legs I9. As best seen in Figure 3, the U-shaped portion I8 and its legs I9 are curved rearwardly (with respect to the face of the wearer, and out of the plane of the legs i6) to better t the face of the wearer. The end of each leg I9 is bent forwardly (with respect to the rearward bend of the legs I9 and U-shaped portion I8), and these ends form nose piecesl 28 adapted to ybepositioned on opposite sides ofA the wearersf-nosem-The extremity of each nose piece Zilis formed with a small loop 2ll to prevent injury to the face of the wearer.

In this embodiment, the U-shaped portion I8 and its legs I9 form the mouth portion I3, and the nose piecesl 20 form the nose portion I4. As seen in Figure 1, the mouth portion I'3 sub-tends the mouth area of the wearer, and provides an opening through which mouth breathing is permitted. Y

Each leg I9 of the U-shaped portion I8 is formed with an offset part 22 for receiving a loop provided on one end of respective holding straps 23, 24. Each strap is preferably formed of suitable elastic material. The strap 23 is provided with a hoolr. 25 and an adjustmentvclasp 2B, While the strap 24 is provided with an eye 21, adapted to receive the hook 25. When the clasp 26 has been adjusted to provide for correct length of the strap 23, the straps 23, 24 are connected at the back of the wearers head, by en gaging the hook 25 with the eye 2l. As seen in Figure 1, the straps 23, 24 pass over the ears of the wearer, and resiliently pull on thesupport I0, so that the support bears firmly against the lter means Il, which in turn bears firmly against/the face of the wearer. l

The support I0 provides spaced points between which extends means I for pressing the filter means against the nostrils of the wearer. Preferably, such means should be resilient, and as here shown, such means comprises a weak coil spring 28. Each leg I9 ofthe U-shaped portion IB is bent to provide a notch 29, and the ends of the spring 28 are looped over the adjacent part of respective notches 29, and in this manner the spring is anchored in position against movement along the legs I9.

The filter means II here shown comprises a lter pad 30,' preferably of such size to extend over the mouth and nose area of the wearers face, and as best seen in Figures land 2, `the filter pad 39 is of a larger area than the mouth and nose portions I3, I4, so that it overlaps these portions. The filter pad may-be formed of a layer of cotton 3| sandwiched in between outer layers of gauze 32. The filter means II'is-secured` to the support I0 in any suitable manner. In' the embodiment shown, it vhas been found sufficient to use ordinary paper clips 33, which are positioned to clip the adjacent portion ofthe filter pad to a. respective one of the straps 23, 24,

In use, after the length of the strap 23l has been adjusted consistent with comfort to the wearer, the respirator is positioned on the face so that the wearers nose and the adjacent portionot the lter pad extend through the space between the nose pieces 20, and the straps 23, 24 are connected at the back of the wearers head by engaging the hook 25 with the eye 2'I.

The straps 23, 24, being somewhat resilient, exert a pull toward the upward with respect to the face of the wearer, the pull toward the face causing the legs I6, U-shaped portion I8, and legs I9 to press the filter pad against the face of the wearer so as to seal the mouth area and prevent any air from being inhaled or exhaled through the mouth except through the lter pad 30. The upward pull of the straps 23, 24 causes the spring 28 to press an adjacent portion of the lter pad to position overlying the nostrils of the wearer and thus prevent any air from being inhaled or exhaled through the nostrils except through the lter pad 30. The upward pull causes the spring 28 to flex out of its normal longitudinal position, so that the adjacent portion of the lter pad 30 is pressed to overlie not only the nostrils, but also to overlie the sides of the nose.

The nose pieces 20 bear against the sides of the looped upper portion of the filter pad (formed by the nose extending through the nose pieces) and press the adjacent portions of the lter pad against respective sides of the nose, thus preventing any tendency of such portions from falling away from the sides of the nose, and therefore obviating any possibility of an air leakage past the lter pad 30 and to the nostrils. As best seen in Figure 4, the spring 28 is of relatively small diameter and engages the wearers head adjacent the meeting point of the nose and. upper lip portion, and therefore provides no obstruction to breathing through the nostrils.

The chin portion I2 engages under the chin of the wearer, and assists in holding the respirator in position, as well as relieving the nose of any excessive strain which might be produced by the straps 23, 24, or the spring 28, or a combination of the two. Should the strain on the nose be excessive and uncomfortable, the wearer need only bend the chin portion I2 so that the distance between the loop I2 and the spring 28 is shortened. From a shipping standpoint, to economize on packing, it may be desirable to ship the respirator dat, that is, with the chin portion, mouth portion, and nose portions lying in a common plane. Under such circumstances, the wearer, upon initial use, may bend and form the support IU to his individual requirements.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that we have accomplished at least the principal object of our invention, and it also will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that our invention is not limited thereto.

We claim:

1. A respirator, comprising: a frame, formed of formable wire; a filter pad, adapted to be interposed between said frame and the face of the wearer, and of such length and width that in position it has portions overlying the mouth and nose of the wearer; said frame having a generally U-shaped portion subtending the mouth area of the wearer and adapted to press the adjacent and relieve the nose of the wearer of uncomfortportion of said lter pad against the mouth area able pressure.

2. Means for holding flexible air lter means against the nostrils of a wearer, comprising: support means, having spaced parts, and constructed and arranged to be positioned overlying the face of the wearer so that said spaced parts are positioned on the two sides of the nose of the wearer; tie means, having its ends attached to said spaced parts, flexible downwardly relative to said ends, constructed and arranged to be positioned underlying the nose of the wearer when said support means is in position; and means for holding said support means and said tie means in position, constructed and arranged to exert an upward pull on the ends of said tie means to cause said tie means to flex about the base of the nose of the wearer and draw such flexible air lter means against the nostrils of the wearer.

3. Means for holding flexible air filter means against the nostrils of a wearer, comprising: support means, having spaced parts, and constructed and arranged to be positioned overlying the face of the wearer so that said spaced parts are positioned on the two sides of the nose of the wearer; resiliently extensible tie means, having its ends attached to said spaced parts, ilexible downwardly relative to said ends, constructed and arranged to be positioned underlying the nose of the wearer when said support means is in position; and means for holding said support means and said tie means in position, constructed and arranged to exert an upward pull on the ends of said tie means to cause said tie means to ex about the base of the nose of the wearer and draw such flexible air lter means against the nostrils of the wearer,

4. Means for holding flexible air lter means against the nostrils of a wearer, comprising: support means, having spaced parts, and constructed and arranged to be positioned overlying the face of the wearer so that said spaced parts are positioned on the two sides of the nose of the wearer; tie means, having its ends attached to said spaced parts, flexible downwardly relative to said ends, constructed and arranged to be positioned underlying the nose of the wearer when said support means is in position; and means for holding said support means and said tie means in position, constructed and arranged to exert an upward pull on the ends of said tie means to cause said tie means to ex about the base of the nose of the wearer and draw such iiexible air lter means against the nostrils of the wearer; said support means comprising also chin-piece means adapted to engage beneath the chin of the wearer to limit upward movement of said support means to prevent excess pressure by said tie means against the end of the nose of the wearer.

5. Means for holding nexible air filter means against the nostrils of a wearer, comprising: support means, having spaced parts, and conof said tie means to cause said tie means to ex about the base of the nose of the wearer and draw such flexible air lter means against the nostrils of the wearer; said support means comprising also chin-piece means adapted to engage beneath the chin of the wearer to limit upward movement of said support means to prevent eX- cess pressure by said tie means against the end of the nose of the wearer.

GEORGE E. MARTINDALE.

OTTO W. SCHARPING. 

